Sony BMG is looking into the idea of a subscription-based service for Sony music, according to a report in a German newspaper.

Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, CEO of Sony BMG, recently told the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Sony is developing a subscription-based music service for Sony music. The music from the service will be usable with "a host of digital music players" and might even make some of the music available to keep after users discontinue the service.

He said that it's "even possible that clients could keep some songs indefinitely, that they would own them even after the subscription expired."

The music would be available for 9 to 12 dollars or 6-8 Euros per month.

There's no word on whether this was just an attempt to float the idea of a Sony download subcription idea out in public to gauge public reaction or whether it was a concrete plan of action, but no release date was given, and few specifics were offered.

DRM-free? How would the subscription technology work? Why would people want to pay that musch money to just one major label for some or all of their catalog? I can't imagine paying that much to each of the four big heavies to get access to their music on a temporary basis.

Schmidt-Holtz went on to say that they were looking into working with other major music distributors and that the Sony service could possibly work with mobile phones.